The Global Catalyst Award honors those who enhance intercultural and international awareness of students and the campus community.
Paul Gellert
Paul K. Gellert is a professor and director of global studies in the Department of Sociology. His research centers on the political economy of development in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and the world. Current research projects include social network analyses of palm oil corporations and of climate change policy networks.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you? How has UT empowered you to make a difference in a way you might not have imagined elsewhere?
“To me, being a Volunteer means being an enthusiastic and dedicated educator about the global who tries to inspire students at UT to expand their imaginations and recognize the historical, contemporary, and future relations between Tennessee, the US, and the world. Building on my experience of volunteering to go to Indonesia 35 years ago, I strive to reinterpret and transform the Volunteer spirit of 1812 in the direction of a new spirit of cross-cultural understanding, cross-border solidarity, peace, and social and ecological justice. I am grateful for the support I have received at UT from my colleagues, department, and the Center for Global Engagement (including two Catalyst grants) that enable me to conduct research, create international collaborations, teach students, and lead the Global Studies program.”